Gisèle Pelicot Trial Challenges France’s Approach to Sexual Violence

The public trial of Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband and 50 others is reshaping societal views on gender violence and justice in France.

Gisèle Pelicot, a 72-year-old survivor of systemic sexual violence, has become a symbol of the fight against gender-based violence in France, drawing widespread public support and media attention.
Her ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, is accused of drugging her and facilitating her repeated assaults by over 70 men over nearly a decade, with 50 individuals currently on trial in Avignon.
The trial has highlighted societal and legal failings in addressing sexual violence, with Pelicot insisting on a public hearing to confront stigma and shift shame onto perpetrators.
Prosecutors have called for significant sentences, including 20 years for Dominique Pelicot, emphasizing the trial's potential to redefine relationships and attitudes toward gender violence in French society.
The case has reignited national debates on consent, victim-blaming, and systemic issues, with many viewing the trial as a pivotal moment in France’s reckoning with patriarchal norms.